Allergies to Dust

Dr. Greene's Blog

Published: December 22, 2000

Many children are allergic to house dust. But what is it in dust that they are allergic to?

Much of dust is made up of flakes of our old skin. By itself this isn’t a problem, but as we’ve known for a while, many children are allergic to the house dust mite, a tiny creature that lives on the dust.

A significant number of children are actually allergic to mouse, cat, or cockroach allergens found in the dust, according to a report in the December 2000 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

When trying to get dust allergies under control, removing some of these creatures from the home might make a big difference in helping your children sleep peacefully, all snug in their beds!